Witchdoctor hexes sex spell over payment
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- A prize winning track athlete who competed in women's events was actually a man, a court in Zimbabwe has been told.

Samukaliso Sithole, who competed in domestic and regional competitions, faced charges of crimen injuria, or psychological offense, in the Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo, the state-run Herald newspaper reported Wednesday. Prosecutors alleged Sithole offended the dignity and sexuality of a woman who befriended him, confided in him and felt comfortable being naked around him, all the while believing him to a woman, the newspaper said.

Sithole was identified as a man to the complainant by an acquaintance, as he and a group of women were preparing to travel by train to a track meet in Bulawayo, the court heard Tuesday. Sithole tried to sprint away from the train station but was caught. Police then supervised a medical examination.

Sithole told the court he was born congenitally deformed. A tribal healer, known in the West as a witchdoctor, gave him "female status" but the spell didn't work properly because his family didn't pay the healer's full fee, Sithole said.

He will reappear in court on March 3 and faces a fine if convicted.

The Herald said the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe was investigating the case and Sithole would likely be stripped of his titles and prize money.

The Sithole competed in women's triple jump, javelin, shot-put and running events, and brought home Zimbabwe's only gold medal from the Southern Region Athletics Championships in neighboring Botswana last June.

source

I think this runner is worse...

Rosie Ruiz Wins the Boston Marathon

On April 21, 1980 Rosie Ruiz, a 23-year-old New Yorker, was the first woman to cross the finish line in the Boston Marathon. She had achieved the third fastest time ever recorded for a female runner (two hours, thirty-one minutes, and fifty-six seconds), which was made all the more remarkable by the fact that she looked remarkably sweat-free and relaxed as she climbed the winner's podium to accept her wreath. However, race officials almost immediately began to question her victory.

The problem was that no one could remember having seen her during the race. Monitors at the various race checkpoints hadn't seen her, nor had any of the other runners. Numerous photographs taken during the race failed to contain any sign of her. Her absence was overwhelming. Finally, a few members of the crowd came forward to reveal that they had seen her jump into the race during its final half-mile. Apparently she had then simply sprinted to the finish line.

As race officials prepared to announce her disqualification from the race, they discovered evidence that she had also cheated during the earlier New York marathon, where she had earned the time that had qualified her to run in the Boston marathon. She had apparently achieved her time in New York by riding the subway. Officials stripped her of her Boston victory and awarded the title to the real winner, Jackie Gareau.

Ruiz has not been the only marathon contestant to earn a victory dishonestly. In September 1991, spectators noticed that the winner of the Brussels marathon, Abbes Tehami, had somehow shaved his moustache off during the race. It turned out that Tehami had only finished the race. His coach had started it for him.

cmon. the other story is just out there and the fact that the guy won medal(s) yet couldn't get away from some cops at the train station just makes it even worse.

worst runner ever:

[img][440:500]http://www.strangesports.com/images/content/16679.JPG[/img]

ok, that was wrong

WTF is that pic?

Did anyone else misread Sithole's name?

That woman in the picture looks like someone I saw on my way to work a few months ago. She was going for a run and just had this dead, expressionless face that still sticks with me. I hope someone gets her the help she needs.

i sho' nuff did.